Shaping Your Bonsai

Strive for flowing form when shaping bonsai. Visualize the overall theme
and try to get a three-dimensional effect. Remember to select the front,
back, and sides of your bonsai before pruning, and don't forget to
examine the roots that will influence the growth of these areas.

For overall design. the "Rule of Thirds" is a simple concept to use as a
basis for obtaining a pleasing form for your bonsai. The "Rule of
Thirds" assures you of getting the proper division of
space. In this aid to design, the total space is divided into thirds--
both horizontally and vertically.

Use your pruning shears judiciously to make changes that benefit your
bonsai. Fine adjustments are made by wiring and bending and thinning
(removal of branches). Remember that a badly designed bonsai will not
grow well.

Before shaping a plant into a bonsai, decide whether the best attitude
of the tree is upright, slanted, cascaded, or semicascaded. Examine the
general form of the tree and note whether it is straight or twisted.
Match the potential of a tree to the style that fits it best. Decide
whether the base will rise from the soil level or whether you will
expose bare roots.

Three basic operations are necessary to establish the basic form in
bonsai culture:pruning, nipping and wiring.

You will need the following basic tools: a pair of sharp hook-and-blade
pruning shears; a garden trowel; blunt sticks; a pair of sturdy wire
cutters; copper wire of various lengths; and a sprinkling can. Also
useful are scissors for trimming leaves, tweezers for nipping, and
brushes for cleaning top soil.